A temporary job assignment in a small town. A family in need. A compelling, kind-hearted man. Ani might be in trouble.

When Ani Nazaryan’s job as sponsorship facilitator brings her to Aveline to assist four refugee families, she knows she must keep her heart unattached or risk heartbreak when it is time to move away. But she couldn’t have foreseen the big changes in the program, the beauty of the town, or the connection she would feel to one of the sponsors.

Daniel Wright was wrongly suspected of a crime ten years ago. Ever since then, he has spent his time working at the post office, keeping his head down, and trying to avoid confrontation. When a confession from a friend clears his name for good, he must decide what his life will become. As he begins to work alongside Ani, he sees possibilities he thought were out of his reach forever. Will he have the bravery to try a new life and finally gain a family?

Note from the author:

I have always loved romance, and I think love stories are so beautiful. I also love the picture of the small town as a kind of landscape for community. I wanted to write something that reflected the kinds of people I have known all my life. So that is why I wrote about Aveline, a small town that is like the life I have known, with quirky, real, lovable characters who come from many backgrounds and ways of life.

Community, brokenness, kindness, and the kingdom of God in action. Isn’t it amazing, how vulnerable we all are? And then we offer food and friendship in the context of houses and cafés and forests… we extend our hands to one another and become family.

The Fire in Our Hearth